Washington Week Ahead:

House members have until Wednesday to propose amendments to the fiscal 2024 Agriculture appropriations bill, setting up potential test votes on farm bill issues. Meanwhile, the House Appropriations Committee this week will debate the FY24 Interior-Environment spending bill, which would slash funding for the EPA and restrict regulatory changes on pesticides and motor vehicles. The FY24 Agriculture spending bill is being teed up for potential floor debate next week, just ahead of the scheduled August recess. Also this week, Xochitl Torres Small will be sworn in on Monday as USDA’s deputy agriculture secretary, leaving her post vacant as undersecretary for rural development. Monday also is when the Black Sea Grain Initiative expires unless the United Nations can get Russian President Vladimir Putin to change course and allow the deal to again be extended and continue to allow millions of tons of grain to flow out of Ukrainian ports.